Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, which will be available on September 23rd for the same $249 as the initial pair introduced in 2019, have elicited two distinct reactions.
The first is “is that all?” Apple has essentially left the general design and in-ear fit untouched. The new AirPods Pro resemble their predecessors in appearance. Despite coming nearly three years after the initial model, there has been no significant redesign. There are no truncated or removed stems. There are no new color options. From the side, these are the same AirPods Pro that you’ve always had. It’s simple to feel disappointed.
Rather of reinventing its wireless earphones, Apple concentrated on refining every aspect of an already successful strategy. The second-generation AirPods Pro have a better sound. Their active noise suppression has improved substantially. The volume can now be adjusted directly from the earbuds. In addition, the charging case now has a built-in speaker and pinpoint location tracking, making it easier to find. The battery life is also slightly longer than previously. These upgrades are exciting for legions of faithful Apple users, even if the outside design is old hat. As a result, the second reaction has been along the lines of “these are just what I’ve been looking for.”
However, the second-generation AirPods Pro face stiffer competition than ever before. Samsung and Google have both released outstanding earphones in the previous few months. Sony is still present with the WF-1000XM4s and newer items such as the LinkBuds S. Sennheiser’s new Momentum True Wireless 3 earphones have excellent sound quality. To some extent, Apple’s competitors have effectively replicated what felt so “magical” about the AirPods a few years ago.
One-tap pairing, spatial audio with head tracking, and hands-free voice controls are becoming industry standard. Apple’s increased noise cancelling capabilities has already been topped by Bose, which launched its QuietComfort Earbuds II on the same day as Apple’s September presentation. If that isn’t an indication of how heated this market has grown, I don’t know what is. The upshot is that Apple doesn’t have it as easy this time around as it did in 2019, when many tech players were (still) figuring out how to use truly wireless earphones.
These new AirPods Pro don’t add any significant software tricks to Apple’s arsenal. The emphasis was once again to improve on what was already there: the transparency mode now automatically dampens harsh noises such as emergency sirens or a shrieking subway car. And, for a more immersive experience, customised spatial audio (not exclusive to these AirPods) can fine-tune the audio profile based on your own unique ear shape.